Ah yes, looks like PA Democrats are well on their way to not changing one thing in wake of the Bonusgate scandal.  They want their handpicked candidates to run for office – not some outsider who hasn’t worked the status quo.  Republicans can’t help but smile when Democrats do things like this.  Keep it up boys.  From Ellwood City Ledger:

Jason Petrella, the long-shot Democratic state Senate candidate who surprised many people with his primary showing against now-indicted state Rep. Sean Ramaley, said Friday that he wants the party’s nomination if Ramaley decides to quit the race.

“The argument I make is simple. Look at my numbers,” said Petrella, a 32-year-old Monaca resident. “Look at how I fared with four people assisting me and a very modest budget.”

Across the 47th Senatorial District, Petrella, a political newcomer who was virtually unknown in Democratic circles, received about 22,000 votes while Ramaley, D-16, Economy, received about 25,300 votes. The district includes most of Beaver County, half of Lawrence County and Crescent Township in Allegheny County.

According to campaign finance reports, Ramaley, 33, spent about $108,000 to win the Democratic primary while Petrella and his committee spent $8,000 combined.

Of the 22,000 district residents who voted for him, Petrella said, “That is the people. That is the Democratic Party speaking.”

As for speculation that Beaver County Commissioner Joe Spanik, who dropped out of the primary in February, would be the likely replacement for Ramaley, Petrella argued that he remained in the race and came close to beating the better-funded and established Ramaley.

“Where were the other horses?” Petrella asked. “They didn’t even run the race.”

Ramaley has until Aug. 11 to withdraw from the race so that his name would not appear on the ballot. On Thursday, Big Beaver resident Jay Paisley announced that he would begin circulating a petition to enter the state Senate race as an independent.

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